Where do you see yourself in 15 to 20 years? Will you be happy, or will you be stuck doing something you hate, even if it's for the better?
Everyone has a calling, though they can be complex and hard to figure out. Personally, I can tell you that most callings are hard to decide upon. Take me for example. I was stuck between a political/law profession or a medical profession. The decision wasn't truly decided by me, as I let my brain and gut do the choosing.
How does one think solely for their self and their future?
It starts with avoiding and ignoring peer pressure, even your loving parents have the ability to try and influence you. This is okay because their opinions and beliefs are of major value, but it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Every person you know already has a thought of what you are going to do, and most of them will tell you, but is it worth knowing who you are going to disappoint?
I was once told that your path is set from the inner happiness you have. Though this truth is valid, it is also incorrect in the assessment that paths are intertwined with your personality and the passions that you hold yourself to. For myself, I believe in a path where I want long-lasting relationships that help define the kind of lawyer and politician I am.
See your path is defined by your integrity and love that only you can hold dear, passion for things like medicine, law, engineering are normal and abstractly valid but along with these common careers there are musicians, artists, photographers, and holistic educators who live long and happy lives- possibly even more than those who follow the common pathways that are lit by the brightest lights.
Robert Frost once lyricized that we should take the road less traveled because that's what makes us individuals, so for the people who have dim lit paths right now maybe somewhere along the journey the canopy will open up and you'll see the rest of the path for what it really is.
It is an experience that only you can choose for yourself, one that nobody else can take from you unless you allow them. I hope that nobody other than those you chooses to influence your path. Take your time and give yourself credit for the things you love and as you sit and think about what and who you want to be that's when you will realize that everything you want to be is yours just follow it and take it as your own.
You are courageous enough to become your own person as long as you remember that being yourself includes becoming stronger minded and willing to disappoint those who never supported your actions.
I can't tell you that everything is gonna be perfect for you but I can tell you that once you decide who you want to be, you'll be the happiest you've ever been! Enjoy the journey before its gone.
